By 1974, the British Motorcycle industry was getting beaten both on and off the track by Japanese competitors.  Just as they had come along and brought the American motorcycle industry to its knees, the British were experiencing their turn at bat.  In racing, Norton was fast becoming an antique when racing against Japanese two strokes.  To add insult to injury, their primary sponsor, cigarette maker John Player, was leaving as well.  To celebrate the end, Norton produced 200 street bikes.  One of those rare motorcycles is this 1974 Norton Commando John Player Special for sale on Facebook Marketplace in Sewaren, New Jersey.  Is the $7,375 price correct for this rare motorcycle needing a full restoration?  Thanks to Rocco B. for the tip!

In the early 1970s, British industry was in a mess.  Labor disputes, increased competition from abroad, government intervention, and a general malaise all worked to make production difficult for many companies.  One area where the country could draw pride was in racing.  The British produced fine examples of both four-wheel and two-wheel racing vehicles.  Despite this, any racer will tell you that the money dries up when the manufacturers and sponsors experience an economic downturn.  It also dries up when you are not producing wins.

At the time, Norton was deep into motorcycle racing.  Wanting to enter the Formula 750 class of FIM motorcycle road racing, they hired a designer named Peter Williams.  Williams was faced with the task of designing a competitive racing motorcycle using the 750 Commando engine as a starting point.  This rather antique design would not be able to produce the horsepower needed to dominate the series.  Williams used his expertise to design a motorcycle that both cut through the wind better and brought the center of gravity lower to the ground than previous racers.  Using the prototype’s potential, Norton managed to gain the sponsorship of British cigarette manufacturer John Player.  An official racing team was established in 1971.

In 1972, Norton campaigned that prototype’s basic design with mixed success, but a lot of potential was there.  1973 brought more design changes as Williams relentlessly tried to eliminate the weaknesses that showed up under the pressure of racing.  A new semi-monocoque chassis was developed and paired with some engine improvements.  These bikes won 14 international races that year.  Williams swung for the fences in 1974.  The chassis design was a full space frame design as Williams continued to cut weight and reduce frontal area.  Once again, the potential was there but between a career-ending wreck that Williams suffered in a race, Norton’s shaky finances, and the relentless onslaught of competing Japanese motorcycles and their seemingly bottomless pockets, caused all concerned to agree with hanging it up at the end of the season.

To commemorate the success of the program and the people involved with it, Norton released 200 Norton Commando John Player Special road bikes.  These were basically Norton Commandos with a full fiberglass body kit to resemble the racing motorcycles.  The fiberglass formed a fairing, a single racing-style seat, and a fake racing-style tank that covered the steel tank underneath.  200 were produced, with over half of them ending up across the pond in the United States.

The Norton you see here is one of those rare motorcycles.  Advertised as 95% there, the bike is missing the left and right side covers, the seat, and the cover for the seat.  Given that the engine is a production Commando unit, those covers shouldn’t be hard to find.  The seat foam and any structure beneath could also likely be fabricated.  From there, one would have a full restoration project on their hands.  A look at the pictures reveals a motorcycle that is somewhat in one piece.  There are aftermarket suppliers for most Norton parts and any body parts that need fabricating are probably not too difficult to reproduce.  For dimensions, you could always contact the seller.  In the ad, they allude that this is the second of these bikes in their possession.

Once finished, this would obviously be a very handsome motorcycle with a ton of collector interest in it.  Looking at the narrow handlebars and the seating area makes you hurt just thinking about riding it for more than a few minutes.  While not a perfect replica of the racing bikes, it does give one an idea of just how much determination and bravery motorcycle racers of that era must have possessed.  Hopefully, this bike finds a home with someone who will restore it and display it on occasion.

Would you take on a restoration project like this one?  Let us know about the motorcycles you have restored or would like to restore in the comments.